Basketball backboard assembly

ABSTRACT

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure describe a frameless basketball backboard assembly and a method for producing a frameless basketball backboard assembly. A mounting structure is attached to one side of the backboard assembly, and a support assembly mounted to the backboard assembly connects the backboard assembly to a base. A rim may be added to a side of the backboard assembly by attaching to the support assembly.

FIELD OF THE ENDEAVOR

The present disclosure deals with basketball goal assemblies.

BACKGROUND

A basketball goal typically includes a rim and a backboard locateddirectly behind the rim. A basketball may bounce off of the backboardcausing the ball to rebound into the rim or back into play rather thanout of bounds. An offensive player may also use the backboard whileshooting a layup or a bank shot. It is important that the backboard hassufficient support and rigidity to allow a basketball to bounce off thebackboard without causing damage.

Many basketball goals include a steel frame around the outside edge ofthe backboard. This steel frame provides rigidity and strength to thebackboard, allowing a basketball to bounce off of the backboard for abank shot or after a missed shot. Although the frame provides additionalsupport to the backboard, it also increases the weight of the backboard.The weight of the basketball goal becomes especially important forportable systems, as heavier backboards make a portable basketball goalmore difficult to move. In addition to weight, cost and ease of assemblyare also important factors for basketball goals, especially those usedat the home. The steel frame around the outside edge of the backboardincreases cost and presents additional pieces that must be added inassembly.

Therefore, there is a need for easy-to-assemble basketball goals thatare lightweight, yet still that have a backboard with sufficientstrength and rigidity.

SUMMARY

Certain embodiments of the present system include a frameless basketballbackboard assembly and a method of producing a frameless basketballbackboard assembly. The frameless basketball backboard assembly providesan aesthetically pleasing backboard and basketball goal that islightweight, easy to produce, and easy to assemble while also providinghigh quality strength and resilience characteristics for optimalperformance during a basketball game.

A method of producing the frameless basketball backboard assemblyincludes providing a flat, polygonal blank of a bendable material. Aportion of the blank is defined as a backboard panel. The blank isheated near one or more portions of its outside edges. The blank is thenbent along one or more lines in the heated portions to form one or moreflanges. The flanges are integral with and extend rearward from thebackboard panel. The blank is allowed to cool to form a rigid, one-piecebackboard. After cooling, the backboard panel is attached to a supportassembly which is mounted on a base assembly. A basketball rim is alsomounted to the support assembly.

In another embodiment, a frameless basketball backboard assemblyincludes a polygonal blank which forms a backboard panel. One or moreflanges integral with and extending rearward from the outside perimeterof the backboard panel provide rigidity to the backboard panel. One ormore corner caps may be attached along the outside perimeter at thecorners of the backboard panel. The backboard assembly may also includea backboard mounting structure that is attachable to the rearward sideof the backboard panel. The backboard mounting structure may include abody portion and at least one support arm that extends to a corner capattached on the backboard assembly. The one or more support arms may bepositioned to divide the backboard panel into separate zones that areapproximately the same size.

The creation of the frameless backboard assembly using bent flangesinstead of a metal frame provides a clean, streamlined look that islightweight and different from other commercially available options.However, the flange structure still provides support and rigidity thatallows the backboard to operate like standard backboards that include aframe. Also, the backboard assembly may be made using acrylic, so thedisclosed backboard assembly may be transparent, similar to backboardstructures found in high school gyms and NBA arenas.

The present system is also easy to assemble, even when only one personis available for assembly. In some embodiments, the backboard assemblywill be pre-attached to the rear side of the backboard assembly. Thesupport assembly is mounted on a base and excludes attachment members.Then, attachment of the backboard assembly to the support assemblysimply requires inserting the attachment members on the support assemblythrough the openings in the backboard assembly. Pin supports can be usedto temporarily hold the backboard assembly to the support assembly whilethe rim and attachment members are attached in front of the backboard.This allows the rim to be attached and secured from one side withouthaving to manually hold the backboard and the support assembly in placeand without having to install fasteners from both sides of thebackboard.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention shallbecome apparent from the detailed drawings and descriptions providedherein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a basketball goal assembly.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank used for the backboard assembly of thebasketball goal assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a backboard assembly of the basketballgoal assembly FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a backboard mounting structure of thebasketball goal assembly shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the backboard mounting structure of FIG. 4attached to the backboard assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a corner cap that is attachable to thebackboard assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a backboard support assembly and baseassembly of the basketball goal assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the backboard support assembly of FIG. 7attached to the backboard mounting structure of FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is a rim assembly of the basketball goal assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the rim assembly of FIG. 9 attached tothe backboard assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a method of forming a basketball goalassembly.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a method of assembling basketball goalassembly.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a method of assembling a basketball goalassembly.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated inthe drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. Itwill nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of theinvention is thereby intended, such alterations and furthermodifications in the illustrated device, and such further applicationsof the principles of the invention as illustrated therein beingcontemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to whichthe invention relates.

The present disclosure pertains generally to the field of basketballgoals and particularly to basketball backboard assemblies. Often, framesare used around the edges of a basketball backboard to provide extrasupport and rigidity to the backboard. However, these frames can addcost and weight to the basketball goal. Reducing weight and the cost ofthe basketball goal is especially important for portable basketballhoops or other types of basketball hoops that may be installed at ahome. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a frameless backboard ofreduced cost and weight, yet that still has sufficient rigidity and thatprovides bounce characteristics similar to a backboard that includes aframe.

In certain aspects, the present disclosure provides a basketballbackboard assembly that may include a backboard panel made from a blankand shaped to include at least one corner portion. At least one flange,integral with and of the same material as the backboard panel, extendsrearward from the backboard panel. In some aspects, a corner cap may besecured to the corner of the backboard panel. A backboard mountingstructure including a body portion can be attached to the rear side ofthe backboard panel. An end of at least one support arm may be attachedto the body portion of the backboard mounting structure, and the otherend of the support arm is attached to the corner cap. In somearrangements, the support arm or support arms divide the backboard panelinto approximately equal-sized zones.

A backboard support assembly, attachable to the backboard assembly byconnecting to the mounting structure, includes one or more attachmentmembers that may be permanently attached to the support assembly in someembodiments. A set of arms extending rearward from the support assemblyare used to attach the support assembly to a base assembly. Theattachment members on the support assembly are aligned with openings inthe backboard assembly. A rim assembly may be mounted in front of thebackboard assembly and attached to the support assembly by inserting theattachment members through the openings in both the backboard assemblyand openings in the rim assembly, and then securing the attachmentmembers.

In some arrangements, the corner cap may include an opening thatcorresponds with an opening in the flange. A screw, or some other typeof attachment, may be inserted through the openings in the corner capand flange to attach the corner cap to the backboard assembly.Additionally or alternatively, the bottom edge of the backboard panelmay be padded for safety in the event that a player hits the backboardpanel with their head or some other body part.

As an example, the present disclosure illustrates a backboard assemblythat is rectangular, so it includes a top edge, a bottom edge, and twoside edges. Flanges may extend rearward from any one of these edges, andit is possible that only one, more than one, or all of the edges mayinclude a flange. Corner caps may be positioned at each one of the fourcorner portions situated along the outside perimeter of the rectangularshaped backboard panel.

In some aspects of the present disclosure, one or more pin openings maybe located in each of the support assembly and the mounting structure. Asupport pin may be fit through one of the pin openings to preliminarilyattach the mounting structure and backboard assembly to the supportassembly. The support pin may hold the backboard assembly and thesupport assembly together while the rim is attached in front of thebackboard panel.

Other aspects of the present disclosure include a method for producing aframeless basketball backboard assembly. The method includes providing aflat, polygonal blank that has outside edges. In some embodiments, thispolygonal blank may be made of acrylic, polycarbonate or anotherbendable material such as thermoplastic. A thermoplastic may be reshapedwhen heated above its glass transition temperature yet below the meltingpoint, and returns to a solid state upon cooling. A portion of the blankis defined to be a backboard panel. One or more portions of the blanknear portions of the outside edges are heated. The blank is bent alongone or more lines in the heated portions to form one or more flanges.The flanges are integral with and extend from the backboard panel. Theblank is allowed to cool to form a one-piece backboard that has one ormore rearward extending flanges that provide structure and rigidity tothe backboard in place of a frame. The backboard panel is attached to asupport assembly that is connected to a base assembly. A basketball rimis also mounted to the support assembly.

The present disclosure also provides for a method of producing aframeless basketball backboard assembly that includes attaching abackboard mounting structure to the rear side of the backboard panel.The backboard mounting structure may include a body portion and one ormore support arms extending from the body portion. The one or moresupport arms may be positioned to divide the backboard panel into zonesthat have approximately the same rigidity and/or are approximately thesame size. Also, a corner cap may be attached to at least one cornerportion of the blank. A support arm may be attached to a leg portion ofthe corner cap.

In some aspects, the method for producing a frameless basketballbackboard assembly may involve a polygonal blank that is rectangularwith four corner portions and includes a top edge, a bottom edge, andtwo side edges. This aspect may include heating and bending the blankalong the top edge, bottom edge, and side edges to form a flange alongat least a portion of each of the four edges. The method may furtherinclude attaching a backboard mounting structure with four support armsto the rear side of the backboard panel, for example by connecting eachof the support arms to a corner cap attached to each of the cornerportions.

The present disclosure also provides a method for assembling abasketball goal that includes a backboard assembly that is pre-attachedto a backboard mounting structure and a support assembly that ispre-attached to a base assembly. In this method, attachment memberspositioned on the support assembly are inserted through openings in thebackboard assembly. One or more pin supports are then placed throughaligned pin openings located on the support assembly and the mountingstructure. The one or more pins keep the backboard assembly attached tothe support assembly as a rim assembly is positioned so that theattachment members may be inserted through openings in the rim assembly.The rim is then secured in front of the backboard assembly.

FIG. 1 representatively illustrates a basketball goal assembly 10.Basketball goal assembly 10 includes a backboard assembly 20. Abackboard mounting structure 40 is attached to the rearward surface ofbackboard assembly 20. Backboard mounting structure 40 allows anattachment to be made between backboard assembly 20 and one end of abackboard support structure 60, in this case a parallelogram structure.The other end of backboard support structure 60 is mounted to a baseassembly 80. A basketball rim assembly 90 is attached on the front sideof backboard assembly 20.

The backboard of backboard assembly 20 is formed from a flat, polygonalblank 21, such as illustrated in FIG. 2. In the embodiment shown, blank21 is formed from a bendable sheet material, meaning a material which isbendable when heated, examples are sheets made of thermoplasticmaterials such as acrylic or polycarbonate which may be reshaped whenheated above the glass transition temperature yet below the meltingpoint; however, in other embodiments, blank 21 may be made from anyother suitable backboard material. Blank 21 may be transparent,translucent or colored. It is also possible that blank 21 may bedecorated or pre-printed to include company or school logos, a targetrectangle, or other graphics.

Blank 21 includes a central portion 30 which becomes the backboard frontface panel and outside edges 22 that form the perimeter of blank 21.Blank 21 is shaped to include at least one corner portion 23, and moreparticularly, a notched corner portion defined as a generally L-shapedarea with a radius. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, blank 21 isrectangular so there are four corner portions 23; however, in otherembodiments, blank 21 may be different shapes. For example, blank 21 maybe hexagonal or square. Alternatively, portions of the outside edges 22of blank 21 may be curved or rounded.

Flange portions 24 are located around the perimeter of blank 21 nearoutside edge 22. Originally, flange portions 24 start as flat portionsof the flat blank 21. Blank 21 may be heated as a whole or only inselected areas to a temperature that gives blank 21 sufficientplasticity to allow flange portions 24 to be bent along bend lines 25approximately 90 degrees to form flanges 28 (see FIG. 3). The blank hassufficient plasticity when heated above its glass transition temperatureyet below the melting point. As shown in FIG. 2, bend lines 25 may beperpendicular to each other, or in other embodiments, bend lines 25 maybe angled. Also, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2, corners 23 may bepre-notched to ensure that bend lines 25 do not overlap to make iteasier to bend flange portions 24 that are positioned on adjacent sidesof blank 21. In some embodiments, flange portions 24 corresponding toall sides of blank 21 may be bent to form flanges 28 aroundsubstantially the entire outside edge 22 of blank 21 withdiscontinuities at the corners; however, in other embodiments, only aportion of the outside edge 22 of blank 21 may be bent. For example, insome embodiments, only three out of four edges of blank 21 may be bent,while the remaining edge does not include a flange.

FIG. 3 shows backboard assembly 20 after blank 21 has been bent alongbend lines 25. Flange portions 24 are bent to create radiused edgesbetween flanges 28 and central backboard panel section 30. The rearedges of flanges 28 may be blunt or rounded for safety, so backboardassembly 20 does not have sharp edges. Within this description, thefront of backboard assembly 20 is considered to be the side of backboardpanel 30 on which rim assembly 90 is attached. The rear of backboardassembly 20 is considered to be the opposite side of backboard panel 30on which rim assembly 90 is not attached. As can be seen in FIG. 3,flanges 28 extend rearward from backboard panel 30.

In some embodiments, flange 28 may be formed by a heat and bend process,but in other embodiments, flange 28 may be formed by injection molding,or any other process that may be used to bend blank 21 or to form abackboard with a bend. In some embodiments, bend lines 25 may bepositioned to form a flange 28 that extends approximately 1.5 inchesrearward from backboard panel 30. Other embodiments may have larger orsmaller flanges 28, for example, flange 28 may extend approximately 1inch or flange 28 may extend approximately 2 or 3 inches.

Openings 32 may be defined through backboard panel 30 to facilitatemounting the backboard and the rim assembly. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 3, there are four openings 32 arranged to form a square. In otherembodiments, there may be more than or fewer than four openings 32.Openings 32 may also be arranged in any different shape or positiondesired. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, openings 32 are centerednear the bottom center portion of backboard panel 30. In otherembodiments, openings 32 may be located in a different position onbackboard panel 30. Still other embodiments are contemplated wherebackboard assembly 20 does not include backboard openings 32 and rimassembly 90 is attached to backboard assembly 20 through alternatemeans, such as a clamping mechanism.

Backboard assembly 20 may also include flange openings 34 located atvarious locations along flanges 28. Flange openings 34 may be used asattachment points for attaching objects on or around flanges 28.Openings 34 may be formed by being molded or drilled or by any othersuitable method for forming openings. It is also possible that openings34 may be created when needed by self-penetrating screws or fasteners.In the embodiment shown, flange openings 34 are adjacent the corners 23of backboard assembly 20. Different embodiments may increase or decreasethe number of flange openings 34 or position flange openings 34 at anylocation on flanges 28.

An embodiment of a backboard mounting structure 40 is shown in FIG. 4.Backboard mounting structure 40 includes a body portion 42 to bearranged near the center-bottom portion of the rear of backboard panel30. Body portion 42 includes openings 44 that can be aligned withopenings 32 in backboard panel 30. The number and arrangement ofopenings 44 may change in different embodiments to match the number andposition of openings 32.

Optional pin support openings 46 are also located on body portion 42. Inthis embodiment, there is one pin support opening 46 on each side ofbody portion 42; however, in other embodiments, the number of pinsupport openings 46 may be greater than or less than two, or thelocation of pin support openings 46 may be changed. Backboard mountingstructure 40 may also include support arms 48. One end of each supportarm 48 is attached to body portion 42 and each support arm 48 may extendoutward from body portion 42.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a corner cap 50. Corner cap 50 is L-shapedwith a rounded corner and engages the ends of two adjacent flanges 28when it is attached to backboard assembly 20. A pair of channels 58 incorner cap 50 are positioned to each receive an end portion of arespective flange 28. Corner cap 50 helps to provide added stability andrigidity to backboard assembly 20 by restraining the movement ofadjacent flanges 28.

As seen in FIGS. 5 and 10, corner cap openings 51 may be located oncorner cap 50 and are positioned to correspond with the position offlange openings 34 on flanges 28. When corner cap 50 is positioned onflanges 28 so that corner cap openings 51 are aligned with flangeopening 34, an attachment member (not shown), such as a screw or bolt,may be inserted through openings 34, 51 to attach corner cap 50 toflanges 28. In other embodiments, corner cap 50 may optionally beattached to flanges 28 using a friction fit. Still alternately, cornercap 50 may optionally be attached to flanges 28 using adhesive, tape,injection molded contours or other options. Corner cap 50 may be made ofplastic, hard or soft rubber, or any other material, such as steel oraluminum, that provides sufficient support to backboard assembly 20 bycreating a corner connection between adjacent flanges 28.

Corner cap 50 may be mounted on a flange 28 so that a front portion 59of the corner cap 50 extends toward the front side of backboard assembly20 and/or so that a portion of corner cap 50 is on the rear side ofbackboard assembly 20. Front portion 59 may be flush with the front faceof panel 30. In some embodiments, corner cap 50 may have a leg 52 thatextends inward, toward the center of the rear of backboard assembly 20.Leg 52 may fit inside the hollow end of an arm 48, and an opening 53through leg 52 may provide an attachment point for an arm 48 extendingfrom body portion 42. In some embodiments, corner cap 50 may be usedwithout connecting to an arm 48.

In some optional embodiments, a protective covering 38 may be attachedalong the bottom edge of the blank (see FIG. 10). This protectivecovering 38 may be made of a soft material to provide padding on thebottom of the backboard assembly, providing protection in the event thata player would come into contact with the bottom edge of the backboard.The protective covering 38 may extend from one or more corner caps andcould cover the entire bottom edge of the backboard or could be appliedto cover only a portion of the bottom edge. It is also possible that aprotective covering is applied to edges of the backboard other than thebottom edge.

FIG. 5 illustrates backboard mounting structure 40 attached to therearward side of backboard assembly 20. In some embodiments, mountingstructure 40 may come pre-attached to backboard assembly 20 or may beconnected to backboard assembly 20 as part of an assembly stage. Thecentral portion of mounting structure 40 may not be directly connectedto the backboard panel, instead mounting structure 40 is secured tobackboard assembly 20 at the corners by connecting support arms 48 tocorner caps 50. Further, the mounting structure and backboard aresecured in a sandwich or layered arrangement between the rim assembly 90and support assembly 60 without being physically directly connected.This, in effect, provides a floating connection arrangement in themiddle so that force applied to the rim assembly, for example by aplayer hanging on the rim, is transferred to the support assembly and isnot transferred to backboard assembly 20.

As shown, each support arm 48 extends from body portion 42 to a cornercap 50 which is attached to a corner 23 of backboard assembly 20.Because the embodiment of backboard assembly 20 shown in FIG. 4 isrectangular and has four corners, there are four support arms 48. Inother embodiments where backboard assembly 20 has a different shape, thenumber of support arms 48 may vary to match the number of corners of thebackboard assembly. For example, if the backboard assembly is hexagonal,there may be six support arms extending from a body portion to each ofthe corners of the backboard assembly. In still other embodiments, theremay be more or fewer support arms 48 than corners 23. It is alsopossible that the support arms do not end at a corner, but ratherconnect to a portion of a flange 28 or a bracket attached to a flange 28at a position that is not located at a corner 23.

As seen in FIG. 5, support arms 48 may be positioned on backboardassembly 20 to create zones 54, 55, 56. In some embodiments, supportarms 48 may be configured to produce zones on backboard panel 30 withapproximately equal rigidity. These equal-rigidity zones can providegreater consistency in the bounce characteristics of the backboard panel30 when an object such as a basketball contacts backboard panel 30. Insome embodiments, the equal-rigidity zones may be formed by creatingzones that are approximately equal in area.

FIG. 7 shows the upper portion of a backboard support assembly 60according to an embodiment of this invention. Backboard support assembly60 includes a backboard attachment bracket 62 that is shaped tocorrespond with the shape of body portion 42 of backboard mountingstructure 40. Attachment members 64 may be preassembled or preformed sothey extend from attachment bracket 62. As an example, each attachmentmember 64 may be a bolt or pin that is welded onto attachment bracket 62so it is permanently attached. A threadable nut may be detached from thebolt to allow the welded bolt to fit through mounting openings 44,backboard openings 32, and/or rim assembly openings 94. The nut may thenbe threaded onto the bolt to secure the backboard panel and/or a rimassembly to support assembly 60.

In other embodiments, attachment bracket 62 has openings 63 that may bealigned with openings 44 of body portion 42. Openings 63 may receive anattachment member 64 that extends through opening 63 to the front sideof backboard support member 60. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, thereare four openings 63 arranged in a square pattern and four attachmentmembers 64 inserted through openings 63. However, other embodiments mayhave more than or less than four openings, or may have openings 63configured in a different arrangement than a square shape.

Pin openings 66 are located on each side of attachment bracket 62 andare sized to receive pin supports 68. In this embodiment, there is onepin opening 66 on each side of attachment bracket 62; however, in otherembodiments, the total number of pin openings 66 may be greater than orless than two. Also, the location of pin openings 66 may be changed, forexample, pin openings 66 may be moved higher or lower on attachmentbracket 62. Pin openings 66 are not confined to use strictly by pins. Inother embodiments, pin openings may receive other objects such as screwsor bolts. In some embodiments pin supports 68 may be cotter pins, butany other type of securing mechanism that may be inserted into pinopening 66 may be used.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, pin supports 68 may be used to temporarilysecure backboard assembly 20 to support assembly 60. In use, backboardassembly 20 is put in place and attachment members 64 are initiallyinserted through aligned openings 44, so that attachment members 64extend through openings 44 in body portion 42. Attachment bracket 62 isalso positioned adjacent body portion 42 so pin openings 66 onattachment bracket 62 are aligned with pin support openings 46 on bodyportion 42. Pin supports 68 are then inserted through pin openings 46,66 to form a preliminary mounting connection. Pin supports 68 havesufficient strength to maintain the attachment between attachmentbracket 62 and body portion 42 for further assembly purposes. This isuseful when assembling basketball goal 10 because it allows theassembler to let go of backboard assembly 20 and support assembly 60 anduse both hands to complete assembly from the front of basketball goal10.

As shown in FIG. 7, attachment bracket 62 also includes openings 72 forarm attachment members 73 which connect attachment bracket 62 to forwardends of support arms 70. Attachment members 73 may be nut and boltassemblies forming pivot axles or may be any other type of fastener thatis capable of attaching attachment bracket 62 to support arms 70.

In the embodiment shown, there are four attachment arms 70 forming adeformable parallelogram assembly. The arms 70 are arranged in pairs, sothat one pair of arms 70 is pivotally attached to the upper portion ofattachment bracket 62. One arm is located on each side of attachmentbracket 62. The other pair of arms 70 is pivotally attached to the lowerportion of attachment bracket 62 with one arm located on each side. Eachpair of attachment arms 70 extends rearward from attachment bracket 62and is pivotally connected to the upper portion of base assembly 80 sothat the upper and lower arms 70 on the same side of base assembly 80form a vertical, deformable parallelogram shape. A gap 74 is formedbetween arms 70 that run parallel on each side of base assembly 80. Inalternative embodiments, any conventional option to mount backboardassembly 20 to a base assembly 80 may be used.

The illustrated base assembly 80 includes a substantially verticalsupport pole 82 which extends through gap 74 of each pair of attachmentarms 70. Support pole 82 may be either perpendicular to the ground orarranged at a slight angle to the ground yet mostly vertical. A poleattachment member, such as a nut and bolt arrangement 83, is insertedthrough aligned openings 76, 84 in support arms 70 and through base pole82, respectively. For example, one pair of attachment arms 70 ispositioned with base pole 82 in between so that openings 76, 84 arealigned. The user inserts a bolt 83 through opening 76 in the first arm76. Once bolt 83 is through opening 76, bolt 83 is inserted into opening84 and through base pole 82. After bolt 83 is passed through base pole82, bolt 83 is pushed through opening 76 in the parallel arm 70 on theother side of base pole 82. Once through the opposite attachment arm 70,the user secures bolt 83. Appropriate mounting hardware such as washersand bushings may be used as desired.

Other embodiments may include alternative methods of attachingattachment arms 70 to base assembly 80. For example, attachment arms 70may be welded to base assembly 80, a clamping mechanism may secureattachment arms 70 to base assembly 80, or any other method thateffectively attaches attachment arms 70 to base assembly 80 may be used.

As seen in FIG. 7, base assembly 80 extends downward, representativelyshown as a base connection 86. It may be a single pole extendingdownward rather than a connection joint. The lower end of base assembly80 may be supported by any of a variety of different bases. As anexample, base assembly 80 could be the support member and base assemblyshown in FIG. 1 and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/688,759(hereby incorporated by reference). Base connection 86 may also connectto a permanent base that is fixed in the ground with cement or by analternate method.

In some embodiments, attachment arms 70 may be pivotably attached tobase assembly 80 to allow the position of backboard assembly 20 to beadjusted so the height of rim assembly 90 may be modified. Additionalmechanisms may be added to base assembly 80 to aid with adjustment ofthe position of attachment arms 70 and to allow the position ofattachment arms 70 to be locked once the desired height of rim assembly90 has been reached.

Rim assembly 90 includes a rim bracket 92 with openings 94 that arearranged to align with openings 32 (see FIG. 9). Similar to openings 32,in this embodiment, there are four rim openings 94 that are positionedto form a square shape. Other embodiments may have greater than or fewerthan four openings 94, and opening 94 may be positioned in differentarrangements. A basketball rim 96 extends forward from rim bracket 92.Rim supports 97 are used to provide support to rim 96 and attach rim 96to rim bracket 92. One end of each rim support 97 is attached to bracket92 and the other end of each rim support 97 is attached to basketballrim 96.

In some embodiments, additional components may be installed within rimbracket 92. For example, springs may be mounted on rim bracket 92 toprovide increased rim flexibility. In other embodiments, rim assembly 90may be a breakaway rim. Also, a cover may be added to rim bracket 92 toenclose openings 94, so they are not exposed. Additionally, a net may beattached to rim 96.

As shown in FIG. 10, rim assembly 90 is attached to support assembly 60,via attachment members 64. In order to attach rim assembly 90, a useraligns rim openings 94 with backboard openings 32 and aligns backboardopenings 32 with body portion openings 44 and support assembly openings63. Alignment can be done in separate steps. An attachment member 64 isinserted through the aligned openings 94, 32, 44. In the embodimentshown, attachment member 64 is a nut and bolt system, so the bolt isinserted through openings 94, 32, 44, 63. From the front of thebackboard, the nut is then threaded onto the bolt and tightened tosecure rim assembly 90 to support assembly 60, with backboard assembly20 and backboard mounting structure 40 in between.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart 200 for a method of forming a basketball goalassembly 10. A user begins by providing 210 a flat, polygonal blank of abendable material, such as acrylic or polycarbonate. The blank includesan outside edge and at least one corner. The blank may be a variety ofshapes including rectangular, square, or hexagonal. It is possible for aportion of the outside edge of the blank to be curved. In some blanks,the corners or edges may include notches (see FIG. 2) that prevent thebend lines from overlapping, making the blank easier to bend.

A portion of the polygonal blank is defined 215 to be a backboard panelby defining bend lines on the blank. The bend lines do not need to bephysically marked. The portion of the blank on the inside of the bendlines is the backboard panel. The portion(s) of the blank that are notpart of the backboard panel are the flange portions which will be bentto become flanges. The flange portions are located near the outsideedge(s) of the blank.

A portion of the blank near the outside edge is heated 220 along thebend lines to a plastic state. Once the desired portions of the blankare heated, the blank is bent 225 along the heated bend lines to form aflange or multiple flanges that extend at approximately a 90 degreeangle from the backboard panel. The blank is bent so the flanges areintegral with the backboard panel and extend rearward from the backboardpanel.

In some embodiments, each side of the blank may be bent to form flanges.In other embodiments some of the sides of the blank may not be bent. Forexample, if the blank is rectangular, the user may bend all four sidesof the blank to create flanges around the entire outside edge of theblank with corner discontinuities. In other embodiments, the user maybend the blank only along the top edge, creating a single flange alongthe top edge of the backboard panel while the remaining edges do nothave a flange.

After being heated and bent, the blank is allowed 230 to cool andharden, so that it sets in the formed shape. After cooling, a one-piecebackboard is formed where the flange or flanges provide support andrigidity to the backboard so it may operate effectively with abasketball goal. Because the flanges provide enhanced rigidity andsupport to the backboard panel, there is no need to add a metal frame orframe made of any other material around the outside edge of thebackboard panel. This reduces the weight and cost of manufacture of thebackboard assembly.

After cooling, the backboard panel is attached 235 to a supportassembly. The support assembly is mounted to a base assembly that holdsthe backboard assembly at a desired height above the ground. To completeassembly, a basketball rim is attached 240 to the support assembly.

As an optional step, at least one hole may be created in the backboardpanel for use in the attachment of a basketball rim. This hole may becreated by drilling or by any other method that produces a hole throughthe backboard panel. Only one hole may be created, or multiple holes maybe created, such as two or four holes. If there are multiple holes, theholes may be created in any shape or arrangement necessary to align withattachment openings in the rim assembly.

In some embodiments, a backboard mounting structure may be secured tothe rear side of the backboard panel. The backboard mounting structurehas a body portion and at least one support arm. The support arm orsupport arms may be attached to the outside edge of the backboard panelor to the flanges.

In some embodiments, a corner cap may be attached to the corner portionsof the blank. Corner caps may be attached to all of the corners of theblanks or only to a portion of the corners of the blank. In embodimentswhere the user has attached a backboard mounting structure includingsupport arms, the user may attach one end of the support arm to a cornercap. If there are multiple support arms, the user may attach eachsupport arm to a respective corner cap.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart 300 that shows a method of assembling basketballgoal assembly 10. This method starts with an assembled backboardassembly including a backboard panel and backboard openings that extendthrough the backboard panel. A backboard mounting structure may beattached to the rear side of the backboard panel. The backboard mountingstructure includes a body portion with openings that align with thebackboard openings when the backboard mounting structure is attached tothe backboard panel.

The attachment bracket of a support assembly is brought into contactwith the body portion of the backboard mounting structure. Attachmentmembers, such as bolts, located on the attachment bracket are alignedwith and inserted 310 through the openings in the backboard panel andmounting structure. When the attachment members have been insertedthrough the openings, pin openings in the attachment bracket and pinopenings in the mounting structure should be aligned 315 to allow one ormore pin supports to be inserted 320 through the pin openings. The pinsupports temporarily secure the backboard assembly to the supportassembly to allow for further assembly of the basketball goal, allowingthe user to let go of the backboard assembly while it remains in placeon the support assembly.

A rim assembly is positioned 325 so that protruding bolts are insertedthrough rim openings on the rim assembly. Nuts are then threaded ontotheir respective bolts to secure 330 the rim assembly and backboardassembly to the support assembly. It should be understood that inalternate embodiments, a user may change the order of the stepsperformed to assemble basketball goal assembly 10.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart 400 demonstrating a method of assembly for abasketball goal assembly that has been boxed by a manufacturer oranother provider. A mounting structure 40 is obtained 410. The structureis pre-attached to a backboard assembly 20 as provided or as assembledby a user in a preliminary step. Also, the support assembly 60 and abase assembly 80 are provided pre-assembled or assembled separately 415.

Next, attachment members 64 on support assembly 60 are inserted 420through openings 32 in backboard assembly 20. Once attachment members 64have been inserted, pin supports 68 are inserted 425 through openings 66so pin supports 68 preliminarily secure support assembly 60 to backboardassembly 20. This allows 430 the pin supports to hold support assembly60 to backboard assembly 20 without any further help. For example, aperson assembling basketball goal 10 may let go of the backboardassembly and support assembly to continue the rest of the assembly.

Rim assembly 90 is then positioned 435 on attachment members 64. Oncethe attachment members extend through the rim openings the attachmentmembers are tightened or fixed to secure 440 the rim assembly andbackboard assembly to the support assembly.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered asillustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood thatonly the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that allchanges and modifications that come within the spirit of the inventionare desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of producing a framelessbasketball backboard assembly comprising: providing a pre-formed flatpolygonal blank of a thermoplastic material which is bendable whenheated; defining a portion of said blank to be a backboard panel,wherein said backboard panel has a front side and a rear side anddefining at least one flat flange portion integral with and planar tosaid backboard panel and adjacent to an outside edge of said blankwherein a bend line is defined between said backboard panel and saidflange portion; heating a portion of said polygonal blank including thebend line above the thermoplastic material's glass transitiontemperature yet below its melting point; after heating, thereafterbending said flat flange portion relative to said backboard panel alongthe bend line by pivoting said flat flange portion along an axis definedby said bend line so that said at least one flange extends rearward fromsaid backboard panel; allowing said blank to cool to form a one-piecebackboard; attaching said backboard panel to a support assembly, whereinsaid support assembly is attached to a base assembly; and mounting abasketball rim to said support assembly.
 2. The method of claim 1comprising: defining multiple flat flange portions wherein each flangeportion is integral with and planar to said backboard panel and eachflange portion is adjacent to a respective outside edge of said blankwherein a bend line is defined between said backboard panel and eachflange portion; heating at least portions of said blank including thebend lines above the thermoplastic material's glass transitiontemperature yet below its melting point, thereafter bending each flatflange portion relative to said backboard panel along a respective bendline by pivoting said flat flange portion along an axis defined by saidbend line in a heated portion to form multiple flanges, wherein saidflanges are integral with and extend rearward from said backboard panel.3. The method of claim 2 comprising: attaching a corner cap to said atleast one corner portion of said blank so the front of said corner capis flush with the front face of said backboard panel, and wherein saidcorner cap includes at least two channels, wherein each of said twochannels is configured to receive a portion of one of a pair of adjacentflanges; and, wherein said support arm attaches to said corner cap. 4.The method of claim 3 comprising: attaching a backboard mountingstructure to said rear side of said backboard panel wherein saidbackboard mounting structure is made of a material different from saidblank, wherein said backboard mounting structure includes a body portionand at least one support arm extending from said body portion to saidcorner cap.
 5. The method of claim 2 wherein said polygonal blank isrectangular and includes four corner portions and wherein said blankdefines a top edge, a bottom edge, and two side edges, wherein each ofsaid corner portions defines a notch, and wherein each bend lineintersects two notches.
 6. The method of claim 5 comprising: attaching acorner cap to each of said four corner portions of said blank; and,attaching a backboard mounting structure to said rear side of saidbackboard panel, wherein said backboard mounting structure is made of amaterial different from said blank, wherein said backboard mountingstructure includes a body portion and four support arms extending fromsaid body portion; wherein each of said support arms extends from saidbody portion to a respective corner cap.
 7. The method of claim 6,wherein said blank is transparent.
 8. The method of claim 1, whereinsaid blank is an acrylic or polycarbonate material.
 9. The method ofclaim 1, wherein at least one corner portion of said blank is notched.10. The method of claim 1, wherein said bend line is parallel to saidoutside edge and wherein said heating a portion of said polygonal blankis done by selectively heating a limited portion of said polygonal blankalong said bend line.
 11. The method of claim 5, wherein said heating aportion of said polygonal blank is done by selectively heating limitedportions of said polygonal blank along said bend lines.
 12. A framelessbasketball backboard assembly comprising: a backboard panel made of ablank of an acrylic or polycarbonate material including a front side, arear side, and an outer perimeter, wherein said backboard panel isrectangular and includes four corners portions; at least four flangesintegral with and extending rearward from said outer perimeter of saidbackboard panel; at least four corner caps wherein a front of eachcorner cap is flush with a front face of said backboard panel, whereineach corner cap includes at least two channels, and wherein saidchannels are configured to receive portions of a pair of said flangesand wherein one of said corner caps is attached to each of said fourcorner portions; a backboard mounting structure of a material differentfrom said backboard panel attached to said rear side of said backboardpanel; four support arms attached to said backboard mounting structure;wherein each of said four support arms extends to a separate one of saidcorner caps; and, wherein said support arms divide said backboard panelinto three approximately equal sized zones.
 13. The frameless basketballbackboard assembly of claim 12, wherein each flange is integrallyattached to said backboard panel by a radiused bend.